The Cisitalia 360 was a Formula 1 car years ahead of its time. In the end it proved too complicated and costly to develop, resulting in an undistinguished racing career.
Cisitalia and Porsche Join Forces
Piero Dusio, a successful amateur racing driver, was the man behind the Cisitalia company. Following World War II they produce a neat little single-seater, the D46, which was powered by a modified FIAT 1,100cc engine. It was cheap to produce and one-make races were held for the car.
The 360, in contrast, required enormous investment on Cisitalia’s part. The car would be designed and built by Porsche. A considerable amount of Dusio’s money was used to free the elderly Dr. Ferdinand Porsche from prison in France, where he was held following the war. Many of the Porsche engineers had worked on the pre-war Auto-Union Grand Prix cars and so it was hardly surprising that the 360 followed similar lines.
The car featured a space-frame chassis, into which was installed a 1.5 litre flat-12 engine. The car had a curious drive system, which allowed the pilot to use four-wheel drive on straight sections before disengaging the front wheels to use two-wheel drive in corners. The gearbox was also adventurous, being a five-speed sequential synchromesh.
Dusio had originally stipulated a very tight deadline for completion of the car but it soon became clear that his demands were not going to be met. By early 1949 he was being pursued for outstanding debts and unpaid wages.
Cisitalia F1 Car Moves to Argentina
A solution to Dusio’s predicament came in the form of the Argentinean president Juan Péron, who agreed to clear Dusio’s debts if the entire project moved to Argentina. The Auto Motores Argentina company, better known as Autoar, was set up and the car was shipped over.
By 1952 Formula 1 was being run to different regulations, rendering the 360 obsolete as a Grand Prix car. Its debut finally came in January, 1954, at a Formula Libre event in Buenos Aires. Felice Bonetto and Clemar Bucci both tried the car but persistent gearbox problems left the team frustrated.
Bucci was again in the driving seat when the 360 made an attempt on an Argentinean speed record the same year. Despite suffering further reliability problems the 360 did take the record, albeit at a paltry average of just under 145 mph. The attempt was the end of the 360’s racing career.
The Argentine 360 was later shipped back to Germany, where it is displayed in the Porsche museum in Stuttgart. Another 360, nearing completion, was also found. It resides in the Donington Collection, England. Despite being viewed as a failure the Cisitalia 360 inspired several other designs, none more so than the ill-fated Sacha-Gordine Formula 1 project.
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